


Little Secrets Grow Up To Be Big Lies

by DracoWillHearAboutThis



Series: Rosavia Royals inspired AUs [1]
Category: Red White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston
Genre: Alex doesn't know Henry is a Prince, Alex is an exchange student, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Ellen Claremont isn't POTUS, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-15 04:34:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29802990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DracoWillHearAboutThis/pseuds/DracoWillHearAboutThis
Summary: Henry meets Alex in a café as he's hiding from the Crown, the media and the public in general. But Alex is charming and alluring and draws him in right away.Alex also has no idea that he's a Prince.
Relationships: Alex Claremont-Diaz/Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor
Series: Rosavia Royals inspired AUs [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2190663
Comments: 14
Kudos: 118





	Little Secrets Grow Up To Be Big Lies

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, my dear readers! This is an idea that's been spinning around in my head for a while, and I finally sat down and wrote it till the end. It was inspired by Reign or Shine by H.J. Welch, Book 2 of the Rosavia Royals Series. I have another fic in my WIPs that is inspired by this series, and I'll add it as part 2 of this series. It will be unrelated to this fic and can be read as a standalone. 
> 
> For now, I hope you'll enjoy this short and sweet AU!

Henry was in trouble.

Oh, he was in so much trouble.

It was supposed to have been a simple escape from palace life. He did it regularly, even. It was surprising how little he was recognised when he just changed his hair a bit, put on glasses and ran around in street clothes. It was such a  _ relief,  _ and he’d quickly become addicted to it. He had a small apartment in Clapham which only Shaan knew about, and whenever he arrived there, he could feel his royal shell fall off him and he just became  _ Henry.  _ Henry, who ate too much Java cake and watched The Great British Bake Off till the death of night. Henry, who liked to just order tea in tiny coffee shops and watch the people go about their day as he read a good book or wrote something on his notebook. 

Henry, who didn’t stand out in a crowd. It was refreshing.

And then, he’d run into Alex. 

Alex was in London for a shared research programme between his home university, NYU, and the University of London. He was currently doing his postgraduate studies in law and was staying in London for six months. And Henry had literally run into him in the middle of his favourite coffee shop.  _ Literally.  _ They’d even spilt their drinks. 

It had done the job, though. It had jump-started the conversation. Henry, mortified, had offered to buy him a new drink, and Alex, broke university student that he was, had accepted. Then, Alex had invited him to sit at the table with him while they’d had their warm beverages, and Henry had been drawn into Alex’s orbit. 

Alex was witty. Charming. Intelligent. Cheeky. 

And he had absolutely no idea who Henry was. 

One coffee had turned into two, and lunch. They had exchanged numbers and met up again and before Henry had known it, he had found himself waking up next to Alex. 

And then it’d happened again. 

And again. 

Henry knew that this was suicidal at best. Alex didn’t even know who he was, and if he found out, Henry had no guarantee he wouldn’t spill his story to the press. 

Only Henry didn’t really believe that he would. Because Alex, with his strong moral compass and his penchant for justice, wasn’t the type of person to screw him over like that. 

Which made Henry feel even worse because it meant, ultimately, that he was lying to him for no reason at all. 

He tried to console himself with the knowledge that even if he told Alex the truth, they wouldn’t have a future together. Alex was going back to the US to finish his studies, and Henry couldn’t marry a man. 

And look at him, talking about marriage when they’d been sleeping together for a mere couple of weeks. He really  _ was _ going round the bend, wasn’t he? 

“Careful,” Alex smirked at him, soft brown eyes glistening with amusement as he watched Henry across the kitchen table. “You’re going to burn through a fuse with how hard you’re thinking over there.”

Henry flushed and cleared his throat. But  _ Jesus,  _ Alex was addictive. He was so bright and shiny and Henry couldn’t bring himself to look away.

He knew he should be running in the opposite direction as quickly as he could. Instead, he was reaching out to entwine their fingers, eager to keep Alex for himself just a little longer.

“So,” Bea grinned at him, making him look up from where he had been staring into space. Charity events could be so terribly dull. He wished he could just throw money and leave. “Who is he?”

Henry blinked, gaze focusing on her. “Who is who?” he asked in confusion.

“That bloke you keep sneaking off to,” Bea rolled his eyes. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed.”

“I haven’t -” Henry protested, averting his gaze. “I don’t -”

“Oh, shush,” Bea rolled his eyes. “Don’t even try. You have been daydreaming too much recently for that to work. It’s a good look on you, though. I’d like to know who put it on you.”

Henry hesitated, biting his lip. Then, he admitted, in a voice low enough that only Bea could hear: “His name is Alex. He’s an exchange student from New York.”

“Well, that sounds juicy,” Bea’s eyes widened.

“You have no idea,” Henry sighed. “He doesn’t know who I am.”

“No way,” Bea breathed. “Who does he think you are?”

“He thinks I work for an NGO,” Henry shrugged. “I gave him a false surname in case he tries googling me. Not sure if he did.”

“He really doesn’t suspect?” Bea asked, stunned.

“I don’t think so?” Henry shrugged. “Or if he does, he’s a very good actor.” Henry sighed. “I feel bad. He’s a good person and I’m lying to him.”

“You’re protecting yourself,” Bea smiled sadly. “And him, if we’re honest. If this gets out… well, we both know what will happen.”

“That’s the thing, though,” Henry sighed. “Shouldn’t he be allowed to decide whether or not he wants to take such a risk with his reputation?” Bea chewed on her lip. Her hesitance was answer enough for Henry. “I really should tell him,” he muttered.

“Do you trust him not to go to the press?” Bea asked gently.

“I do,” Henry nodded. 

Bea sighed. “I am sorry to say this, but you will have to make him sign an NDA. Even if you trust him -”

“I know,” Henry grumbled, rubbing a hand across his face. He always hated the paperwork surrounding his personal relationships. “This isn’t my first rodeo, Beatrice.”

She patted his arm in comfort and offered him a fresh glass of champagne. He took it gratefully.

Henry was going to tell Alex the next time he saw him. He really was. But then, the press crossed his plans. 

Henry wasn’t sure when or how they’d gotten wind of his Clapham apartment, but they must have been trailing him for a while. There were photos. A lot of photos, of him, and of Alex. 

The headlines ranged from mildly sensational to horribly humiliating.  _ The Sun  _ tastefully dubbed him ‘Princess Henry’. 

What really shook Henry, though, was the message he received from Alex. 

It was short and succinct: One of the online articles about them in a link with the added comment of “What the fuck?!”. 

This wasn’t how Henry had wanted it to go. In all the scenarios he had pictured Alex finding out, it hadn’t been like this. 

He wanted to call Alex. He wanted to explain. But Clarence House was talking his ear off about damage control and Philip was having an egg and his grandmother was making her way home from Scotland, probably to make him feel terribly guilty and make sure he knew his place. As if his brother wasn’t already doing a perfectly acceptable job of that. 

“Philip,” Bea’s voice cut through Philip’s tirade, a welcome relief. “Kindly shut the fuck up.”

Henry looked up to find her in the doorway, accompanied by his mother. He was surprised by her presence. His mother tended to keep to herself since their father’s death. 

“Stay out of this, Beatrice!” Philip thundered, but his voice died when their mother raised a hand to silence him. 

“Everyone but my children, out,” she demanded. 

The staff looked a bit unsure but didn’t dare defy a crown princess' orders. When it was just the four of them, she approached Henry, her face soft. 

“My dear boy,” she breathed. “I’m so sorry I didn’t realise. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there.”

“Mother -” Philip began, but she shot him a pointed look, making him fall silent again. 

“I know you’ve been through a lot,” she said, turning back to Henry. “But I won’t allow my mother to hold you hostage any longer. I promise you that.”

“What are you saying?” Henry whispered, not daring to believe his ears. 

“Let me handle your grandmother,” she smiled. “We’re going to have Clarence House set up a statement of support.”

“You can’t be serious, Mother!” Philip called. “We can’t allow him to just -  _ choose _ this lifestyle! The people will never accept it!”

“I think the people are more open-minded than you think, Philip,” Bea rolled her eyes. “And it’s not a choice. Henry didn’t wake up one day and decide to go for blokes. He’s always been that way.”

“And it’s time we allow him to be honest and happy,” their mother nodded, and for the first time since their father’s death, Henry could see Princess Catherine in her again. Or maybe, he could see the Queen she would once become. 

“Thank you, Mum,” Henry whispered, slightly choked.

“Of course, my dear,” she breathed, reaching out to gently touch his cheek. “And now, get Shaan and go after that boy. I shudder to think about what kind of media storm he has to endure.”

It was indeed impossible to just ‘go after’ Alex. Paparazzi were camping in front of his student dorm. They had to send out members of the Royal Guard to get him, and when they arrived, Alex refused to come. Shaan had to coax Alex for the better part of an hour until he agreed to get into a car with him and be taken to Kensington Palace. 

When he was led into Henry’s apartment, he was majorly pissed at him.

“You have some fucking nerve!” Alex called. “You fucking lied to me for  _ weeks _ and then I wake up to find my face plastered all over the internet and it turns out you’re the fucking Prince of this goddamned place and then you don’t even bother to answer my fucking calls -”

“I know,” Henry interrupted him. “I’m sorry.”

“I can’t even step out of the door without having a camera shoved into my face!” Alex yelled. “Don’t you think I deserved a heads-up that this might happen?!”

“You did,” Henry nodded. “I was going to tell you.”

“When?!” Alex demanded. 

“When we next saw each other,” Henry confessed. “I was working on what I was going to say and -” he sighed, shaking his head. “I know it sounds lame. I should have told you sooner.”

“You think?!” Alex mocked, but the fight seemed to be slowly draining out of him. He was leaning against one of the armchairs, staring at Henry with an expression so conflicted that he couldn’t even begin to decipher it. “Why didn’t you?”

“I’d only just met you,” Henry shrugged, his excuse sounding weak in his own ears. “I couldn’t be sure whether or not I could trust you.”

“I’m a lawyer, Henry,” Alex said pointedly. “I know there are ways to take care of that. Shove a fucking NDA under my nose. I’d have signed it. Damn, I had to sign one on my way here, anyway!”

Henry flinched. Then, he took a deep breath and admitted: “You’re right. I guess I… I liked the fact that you  _ didn’t _ treat me like royalty. I was afraid that things would change between us if I told you.”

Alex looked at him for a long moment. Then he said: “I get that, I think. But… I thought you would have known me better than that, at least by now. I wouldn’t have given a damn, Henry. I was in it for you.”

The deliberate use of the past tense hit Henry like a punch in the gut. “I fucked this up, didn’t I?” he breathed. 

“We both know there’s no future to this, anyway,” Alex laughed bitterly. “If you thought this could be anything serious, you’d have told me the truth. And now, after finding out you’ve lied to me since the beginning… I’m not sure there’s much to build on, anyway.”

“I didn’t lie about everything,” Henry breathed. He was desperate for Alex to at least understand this. “I might not have told you who I was, but the way I was with you… That was the  _ real _ me, much more than I am when I have to be Prince Henry. It wasn’t fake.”

He saw Alex gulp, but when he met Henry’s eyes, his expression was resigned. “Then I hope that you can find a way to be more honest with yourself, too,” Alex said. “I’d hate to see you living a lie forever.”

“Is there nothing I can do to make you stay?” Henry whispered. “Alex, I -”

“I’m leaving in two months,” Alex reminded him. “Maybe sooner, if that shit show with the press is any indication. It would have ended anyway.”

Henry wanted to argue. Wanted to plead him to give this a chance - to give him a chance - but he knew he had no right to. He had screwed Alex over, and if he decided he didn’t want him around any longer, then Henry would respect that. Not to mention that Alex probably didn’t want the kind of lifestyle dating him entailed. 

“All right,” Henry nodded. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry, Alex. I really am.”

Alex nodded, just looking at him with sad eyes for a long moment. “So am I,” he breathed, at last. 

Henry’s mother made good on her word to Henry. Henry had no idea what was said in the showdown between her and his grandmother, but eventually, the Queen relented, and Clarence House released a statement claiming that the Crown supported Henry and asked the public to respect his privacy. 

It was also made clear, at Henry’s request, that Henry and Alex were not in a relationship and that Alex was to be left in peace. It didn’t work as well as it should have. Alex left England a couple of weeks after the news broke and even after his return to New York, he occasionally landed in gossip magazines with new shots. 

Even though contact between them had ceased, Henry had far from forgotten about Alex. The other man still haunted his dreams as well as his waking hours, to the point where sometimes, Henry found it hard to focus. 

Eventually, Bea and Pez both sat him down for an intervention. 

“You’ve officially done enough moping,” Pez announced. “I can’t see your sad face anymore. You’re depressing David. Do you want that on your conscience?!”

“What are you even doing here?” Henry asked, bewildered. “Shouldn’t you be off in - um, where were you last? Brazil?” 

“Don’t deflect!” Pez glared. “I will come back in an hour of crisis.”

“Hen, what we are trying to say,” Bea said gently, “is that you’re obviously still hung up on Alex.”

“Right,” Henry deadpanned. “100 points to Slytherin.”

“She’s not a Slytherin,” Pez called, looking appalled. “Wait, are you?”

“I’m a SlytherPuff, thank you very much,” Bea sniffed. 

“People like that exist?” Pez asked, sounding intrigued. 

“We’re getting off-topic,” Bea rolled her eyes. “We were talking about you and Alex, and why you should go to New York and get him back.”

“Excuse me?!” Henry called, almost choking on air. “Have you officially lost your mind?!”

“What, do you think he’s going to come back by himself?” Pez asked, raising an eyebrow. “Sorry to break it to you, mate, but that’s not bloody likely, after the stunt you pulled.”

“Even if I go after him, he won’t forgive me!” Henry called. “He’ll think it a nuisance!”

“Or he’ll think it romantic and change his mind,” Bea said pointedly. “You could at least try.”

“This isn’t ‘The Prince & Me’!” Henry called.

“Right,” Pez rolled his eyes. “Alas, you going after him, and not the other way around.”

“Plus, Alex is a bit dark and curly to pass for Julia Stiles,” Bea said, lips twitching. “Intriguing recast, though. Both are sassy as fuck.”

Henry groaned and buried his face in his hands. “Now, that’s attractive,” Pez drawled. “I’d take you back like that.”

“Shut up,” Henry grumbled.

“Henry,” Bea said sternly, making Henry glance up at her. “Listen. I love you, and I can see that he’s special to you. I’d hate for you to be sitting here in ten years, regretting that you ever let him go.”

“At least try,” Pez agreed. “If it’s a no, it’s a no. At least then, you have better chances of moving on.”

Henry took a deep breath and let it out again. Then, he nodded. “Fine,” he huffed. “I’ll go. But you owe me all the pampering if I get dumped all over again.”

“Sure thing,” Pez grinned, jumping up to open Henry’s closet. “Now, let’s see. We need an outfit.”

Henry rolled his eyes and Bea snickered.

Henry thought he must be out of his mind. 

Technically, he could have asked his sources to research Alex’s address. He could still do that, come to think of it. But he hadn’t wanted to misuse any more power. 

He wanted to do this as  _ Henry,  _ not as the Prince.

So he was standing here, in front of the University of New York School of Law building, waiting for Alex.

He had done  _ some _ research, but he had done it via the public channels. Alex was listed as a doctoral candidate on the NYU homepage, including the classes he taught. From there on, it was easy to figure out his schedule. 

One of his classes had ended half an hour ago. A bunch of students had already left the building, but Alex hadn’t been amongst them. Henry guessed that he was still inside, tying up loose ends. After all, the teacher was usually the last to leave. 

When Alex finally appeared, his arms were laden with books. He wasn’t glancing up at Henry, too focused on his path directly to the subway station, so Henry had to step into his way to make him look up. 

When he did, Alex’s eyes widened. 

“Henry,” he breathed, his fingers tightening around his books. “Why - what are you doing here?”

Henry smiled shily. “I came to see you,” he admitted. “Is there anywhere we could talk?”

Alex just stared at him, blinking. Then he seemed to pull himself together, stumbling over his words. “Um, yes. Right. Talk. There’s a café around the corner that’s usually fairly private.”

“Sounds good,” Henry nodded.

He followed Alex the five minutes down the street, stealing glances sideways at the other man. Of course, he had kept an eye out for photos of him, but the real version just couldn’t compare. Being around Alex just made him feel things that…

Bea and Pez had been right. He needed to at least try, or he would always wonder.

When they entered the small corner café, it was almost deserted. Only two people were in: A girl with curly black hair up in a knot and an apron with the logo of the café printed on the front, and another girl that looked like the spitting image of Alex, from the wild dark hair to their soft brown skin and eyes. 

“Alejandro,” the girl with the apron called as they came on, but her eyes widened when she realised he wasn’t alone. “Shit. I see you brought royalty. Shall I break out the fine china?”

“You don’t have fine china,” the other girl laughed. “Just regular china, and paper cups.”

“Hey, not my fault my employer is stingy,” she shrugged.

“Henry,” Alex said, turning to him with an amused eye roll, “meet my sister June and our friend Nora. Girls, meet Henry. Now, we need to talk without you listening in on every word. Can we go upstairs?”

“You’re no fun,” Nora pouted, but June just grinned at her before turning to face them. Henry noticed that she checked him over once. He knew that look too well. It was the big sister look. He hoped he wasn’t found lacking. 

“Go ahead, you have the place to yourself,” June said. “We’ll keep other customers down here.”

“Thanks, Bug,” Alex smiled and June wrinkled a nose before waving him off.

Alex led Henry upstairs into a small nook where a seating area was fashioned with old armchairs, couches and pillows. It was nice, Henry thought. 

Alex took one of the couches, placing his books next to him, and Henry seated himself in an armchair opposite him. Nora called up to ask if they wanted something to drink, and after they both ordered a coffee drink (Henry wasn’t usually one for coffee, not like Alex was, but he had flown across the ocean to see him and he’d like some caffeine now). They stalled until Nora brought them their cups, shooting them knowing smiles before leaving them to it. 

“So,” Alex said, a bit awkwardly. “You wanted to talk?”

“Actually,” Henry began, “I wanted to apologise again for how badly I handled things back in England. You deserved better.”

“You already apologised,” Alex reminded him. 

“I know,” Henry said, “but I still feel horrible about it, and I wanted you to know.”

“Okay,” Alex said.

“I also wanted you to know that I miss you,” Henry pushed on. “Every day. I know we just spent a couple of weeks together, but they were special to me, and I haven’t been able to get you out of my mind.”

Alex was silent, just watching him, and Henry took that as his clue to continue.

“You told me when we last spoke that I never believed in a future for us in the first place, or else I would have told you the truth,” Henry said. “And you were both right and wrong. With my family, I never imagined I’d be allowed a future with you. But that didn’t mean I didn’t  _ want _ it. And I did want it, Alex, and the more time I spent with you, the more I longed for it to become serious, and it scared me. That’s why it was so hard for me to tell you, I think. Because that would have introduced a new level of intimacy when I knew I would have to let you go in the end.”

“Why are you telling me this now?” Alex whispered.

“Because my family isn’t a problem any longer,” Henry stressed. “My mother told me explicitly that I can court whoever I wish to. And I want you, Alex.”

“Henry,” Alex breathed, sounding pained. 

“I know I made mistakes,” Henry cut in. “I shouldn’t have lied to you. And I promise I’ll be nothing but honest to you from now on. If you can forgive me and give me another chance… I’ll prove myself worthy of your trust, I promise.”

Alex’s silence was nerve-wracking. Henry started rambling. “Of course, I understand if you don’t want to step into the kind of life a relationship with me entails. I come with strings attached, and you know that. So if you say no, I’ll respect that, and this is the last you’ll hear of me. But I just… I needed to  _ try,  _ Alex.” Another beat, then. “If you could say something, I’d be really grateful. Even if it is that you don’t have an answer. I can come back later or -”

“It’s hard to get a word in,” Alex said, the corners of his lips quirking into a smile. “I’ve never seen you talk so much at once.”

“I’m a tad nervous,” Henry admitted. 

“I can tell,” Alex nodded. He reached one hand out until his fingertips touched Henry’s on the table between them. It made Henry’s heart race. “I promised myself that I was through with this,” Alex whispered, eyes locked on their fingers, “With you. But I can’t forget you, either. It’s ridiculous. Nora keeps poking fun at me, and June is getting concerned.”

“Really?” Henry asked hopefully. 

“Yes,” Alex smiled at him. “I’ve stubbornly resisted all attempts at intervention and then you turn up here like a fucking Prince Charming. How am I supposed to keep resisting that?”

Henry bit his lip to keep from smiling. “How inconsiderate of me,” he chuckled.

“Indeed,” Alex nodded, his tone mock-grave. 

Tentatively, Henry edged his fingers closer to Alex’s until he could entwine them with the other man’s. 

“No more secrets,” Henry repeated. “And we can go as slow as you want, and as privately as we can manage. You decide the pace.”

Alex chuckled, squeezing Henry’s hand. “I’m not breakable, or some skittish animal,” he told him. “If I say I’m in, I’m in, okay?”

“Yes?” Henry asked softly, the smile finally spreading over his face unhindered. 

“Yes,” Alex grinned. “Now, kiss me, Your Highness.”

Henry rolled his eyes but leaned in to comply. He startled a little when Nora shouted up catcalls from downstairs, but Alex just grumbled against his lips and pulled him closer by the neck, and soon, Henry was lost in the feeling of Alex’s mouth on his. 

Henry could already see the headlines in front of his inner eye; the speculations when they were seen together again... But for once, he did not mind.

He was with Alex. That was all that mattered. 


End file.
